Nerium oleander Angiolo Pucci

Oleander 'Angiolo Pucci' is a descendant of Nerium oleander, a vigorous evergreen bush emblematic of Mediterranean gardens. This variety, particularly floriferous and very compact, blooms in single flowers of a bright ivory yellow, continuously from June to October if the soil remains moist. They are grouped in generous clusters, highlighted by elegant dark green foliage, attractive even outside of the flowering period. Undemanding, easy to grow in any well-drained soil, resistant to sea spray as well as drought, its only weak point is its mediocre hardiness, particularly during its first years. Cultivation in the ground should be reserved for regions that do not experience very cold winters. This variety generally does not exceed 1.50 m (5 ft) in height at maturity. As such it is perfect for pot cultivation on a terrace or balcony, or in a small garden, to be stored over winter in colder regions. It can also be used to compose compact and colourful hedges.

The numerous oleander cultivars available on the horticultural market are most often hybrids between Nerium oleander subsp. oleander, which are spontaneous around the Mediterranean, and Nerium oleander subsp. indicum, very fragrant, spontaneous from Iran to China. Their flowers are single, double, or even triple and encompass an almost infinite palette of tones, from white to pink through yellow and salmon, red, and even purple. Only the blue hue is absent.

Nerium oleander is an evergreen bush of the Apocynaceae family, like periwinkles or false jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides). 'Angiolo Pucci' is naturally dense and bushy, branching near the base, multi-stemmed, with a generally rounded habit. Vigorous, it will reach on average 1 m 50 (5 ft) in height and 1 m (3 ft) in spread at maturity, with rapid growth. Its flexible branches, covered with grey bark, bear long evergreen leaves, thick and leathery, a little bluish with a lighter underside. They measure 10 to 15cm (4 to 6 in) in length and 3cm (1.2 in) in width. In case of intense drought, Nerium loses some of its oldest leaves, those that are towards the base of the stems. Flowering takes place in spring and then again from the end of summer to autumn, or continuously from spring to autumn for 4 to 5 months in the right climate, in moist soil. The flowers are composed of a tube flaring into 5 petals, ivory yellow with a golden yellow throat, alongside thin and turbinate buds. They are grouped in corymbs, mainly at the terminal part of branches aged 1 or 2 years. This flowering, nectar-rich and honey producing, is followed by the formation of long reddish pods which burst when ripe, releasing a multitude of small seeds provided with a tuft of white bristles, to be disseminated by the wind. Be careful not to prune the oleander too severely: only the stems that have reached a certain length bear flowers!

Symbol of resistance and generosity, Nerium oleander is an excellent hedge plant by the sea, but also a magnificent standalone specimen to plant in a warm site. Hardy down to -8/-10°C (17.6/14 °F) once well established, it will grow without problem in any ordinary but well-drained soil. It can also be used as a hedge, regularly pruned and combined with other evergreen bushes such as Laurustinus, Elaeagnus ebbingei, Mexican Orange, myrtles, Pittosporum tobira or Grevillea. In mild climates it can be trained as a small tree, initially selecting the best stem and bringing that up to 1m50 or 2m (5 to 7 ft) from the ground before letting it branch out. Subjects trained thus are particularly ornamental but do require very mild winters that will not risk needing to cut them back to the ground: you don't want to see several years of work destroyed by frost in a few hours! On the terrace it will reign supreme in a large pot, in the company of citrus trees, Grevillea and oleanders. This method of cultivation allows the tree to be stored in a very bright, fresh but frost-free room over winter in very cold regions.

The genus name, Nerium, may come from the ancient Greek Nerion, derived from Nereus, a sea god of Greek mythology. Another interpretation would relate Nerium to neros, which means wet in Greek. The liquid element underlying both these interpretations is probably explained by the fact that wild oleander never grows very far from water. Its long roots anchor deeply in the soil to draw moisture, including on the sides of gorges or in the bed of dried-up rivers. Proving its incredible resistance to drought, in arid regions like the Negev in Israel or the south of the Moroccan Ante-Atlas, Nerium oleander is one of the only bushes (along with Acacia and Retama, a kind of broom) capable of surviving in the desert, anchored in the walls of ravines.